The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Presently there is no easy and convenient way to provide specific information prompts to a user travelling in a motor vehicle, such as a car or truck, which alerts the user to the opportunity to obtain additional, detailed information on a specific topic being discussed in a received broadcast by the vehicle's radio system. For example, during a talk radio show on the economy, the “Gross Domestic Product” (“GDP”) of the United States may be mentioned during the broadcast. If the user is not familiar with what the term “GDP” means, this can detract from the user's overall understanding of the subject matter of the broadcast. But if the opportunity presented itself to the user where the user could immediately interrupt (i.e., effectively pause) the broadcast while she/he accessed another information source to obtain additional information on what “GDP” means, this would be a significant benefit to the user. The problem, however, is that with a broadcast being received from a radio station or other content source, such as for example an AM or FM broadcast, there has been no way for the user to “pause” the broadcast. Moreover, there is no way for the user to quickly and easily access a different information source, in this example a source that would provide a brief explanation of what “GDP” means. This is especially so when the user is travelling in a motor vehicle. And still further, even if the user was able to somehow “pause” the broadcast, when the user returns to listening to the broadcast, the user will have missed that portion of the broadcast that occurred while she/he was listening to the additional information.
At present, if the user is listening to a broadcast while travelling in his/her vehicle, the user is likely limited to using a 3G or 4G cellular network along with her/his smartphone to perform a search for the additional desired information. Obviously, this will require the user to be accessing her/his smartphone and viewing additional content presented on the smartphone. This can be cumbersome, highly inconvenient and/or undesirable while the user is driving a motor vehicle. There is also a growing effort by cities to pass laws and ordinances prohibiting use of a smartphone while driving unless the smartphone is used in a “hands free” manner. Moreover, there still is no way for the user to effectively “pause” the broadcast being received by the vehicle radio while the user reads, or listens to, the additional content on her/his smartphone.